Course Overview

Why take this course?

If you have a keen interest in both psychology and marketing then our combined honours Marketing with Psychology degree allows you to study these two disciplines in parallel. Studying the mechanisms of the mind and how this relates to behaviour while, at the same time, developing a solid grounding in marketing theory and practice puts you in a good position to differentiate yourself in the workplace upon graduation.

What will I experience?

On this course you can:

Do a one-year placement working in a paid full-time role

Specialise in psychology by examining areas of personality and social behaviour, interaction and communication, cognitive processes and more applied aspects such as occupational psychology

Deal with current topics and issues in marketing while developing your personal marketing strengths

What opportunities might it lead to?

Portsmouth Business School is proud of its links with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), and to have Accredited Study Centre status. This means that as well as gaining an academic degree, students on our Marketing courses also have the opportunity to gain a professional qualification. Through our alliance with CIM, we offer intensive study of CIM’S Foundation Certificate, Diploma in Professional Marketing and the CAM Diploma in Digital Marketing. Students opting to follow this ‘Graduate Gateway’ route leave the Business School with both a degree and a professional qualification; a valuable combination in today’s competitive job market.

Please note that the subjects included in the course will not meet British Psychological Society (BPS) criteria for exemption or accreditation.

Structure & Teaching

Year one

The first year will introduce you to the main functions of business and how these relate to Marketing and you’ll also begin studying the basics of psychology which will be of relevance when you later apply them in the context of marketing.

Core units in this year include:

Marketing Principles and Practice

Marketing in Action

Introduction to Psychological Science

The Psychology of Everyday Life

Managing People in Organisations

Quantitative Methods and Data Analysis

In addition students are supported by a Personal Tutor on Personal and Professional Development.

Year two

Develop your understanding of marketing and begin to tailor your degree, choosing from our range of options within the marketing, general business and psychology disciplines.

Core units in this year include:

Marketing Research and Planning

Customer Insight for Product Management

Approaches to Psychology

Contemporary Issues in Psychology

Employability, Research and Professional Development

Options to choose from in this year include:

Developing Marketing Communications

Introduction to Digital Marketing

Business Venturing

Leadership, Ethics, Governance and Sustainability

Foreign Language

Year three*

Reinforce your marketing and psychology knowledge and specialise further in a marketing area of your choice. All students complete a final year project and you will have the choice of either a traditional dissertation or business theory research project or the more practical, applied options of the marketing consultancy project or work-based learning project.

Core units in this year include:

Strategic Marketing

Work Psychology

Options to choose from in this year include:

Advertising and Public Relations

Developing New Products and Managing Brands

Language and Communication

Digital Marketing Tools and Techniques

Global Marketing

Managing Marketing Communications

Professional Selling and Sales Management

Business Enterprise

Cross Cultural Awareness in Business

Language and Communication

Self and Subjectivity

*This course is also available as a 4 year sandwich (+ work placement)

Teaching and Assessment

We place a lot of emphasis on student support and we aim to provide a learning environment that is both stimulating and academically challenging whilst also supporting your learning. You will encounter a range of teaching methods - from lectures, workshops and seminars to hands on ICT sessions and lab exercises. The course is taught by experienced marketeers with a track record of success across many business sectors.

How are you assessed?

We appreciate that different students have different learning styles and so we provide a range of assessment approaches to suit everybody. Here are some of the ways we assess your work:

mini-projects

presentations

groupwork

live client work

examinations

multiple-choice tests

essays

portfolio work

The design of our assessment allows you to show your subject knowledge and understanding whilst also giving you opportunity to hone the “soft” skills that employers seek. This includes areas such as communication skills, critical thinking and presentation skills.

Facilities & Features

Placements Office

International Office

The International Office provides extensive support during your studies

Computing

Great working spaces with high-spec PCs, Macs and printing facilities

University Library

Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment

Placements Office

Take advantage of our Placements Office. Providing you with a huge portfolio of employers offering great business-related placement opportunities, the experienced team is always on hand to offer advice on everything from producing high quality applications through to preparation for a company assessment day.

International Office

We are a very cosmopolitan community with more than 4,000 international and EU students from over 100 different countries. The role of the International Office is to provide you with extensive support to make your time here as stress-free and enjoyable as possible, enabling you to focus on your studies.

Computing

We have invested heavily in open access computer suites across campus. Great working spaces with high-spec PCs (multimedia and CAD), Macs and printing facilities. There is also more specialised software and equipment available such as large format printing, audio-visual equipment and language laboratories. Should you need any assistance, there are specialist technicians on hand to support you in using the facilities.

University Library

Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.

Budgeting for your studies

There are extra costs associated with studying, which you will need to consider when planning your expenditure.

Recommended texts:
If you wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow from the University Library, the average price is £50-£60. You may be studying up to 6 units a year, each with a standard recommended text.

General costs:
We recommend that you budget £75 a year for costs of photocopying, memory sticks, DVDs and CDs, printing charges, binding and specialist printing.

Final year project:
If your final year includes a major project, there could be cost for transport or accommodation related to your research activities. The amount will depend on the project you choose to develop.

Careers & Opportunities

Career prospects

Our range of marketing degrees are an excellent starting point for careers in marketing, and a placement year sets you ahead of other recent graduates when seeking your first marketing position.

Overall, this course opens a number of doors from the option to continue with further study to eligibility for graduate schemes for large multinational companies. A number of our graduates are even snapped up by the company where they spend their placement year.

Roles our graduates have taken on include:

events manager

marketing campaigns officer

business development manager

market researcher

press officer

online marketing executive

Work experience

Employment boosting opportunities

Boost your degree with the opportunity to undertake a one-year placement working in a paid full-time role which offers progression and a suitable level of responsibility. You will benefit from the contemporary business experience that employers demand.

With employers now seeking key business competencies and experience alongside a good degree, work experience is more vital than ever. Due to its very nature a placement year is the best and most involving type of work experience you can do during your time at university. As such, a placement will help ensure you are as employable as possible upon graduation.

Career planning

To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.

Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.